Car-coupling.



W. F. RICHARDS.

GAR COUPLNG.

APPLICATION FILED JANzI, 1910 1,066,845. Patented July s, 1913.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

W1LLARD F. RICHARDS,

OF LANCASTER, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR T0 GOULD COUPIJIRv `solarium, 0F NEW Yoann. Y.

CABfcoUPLrNG.

Specication of Letters Patent.

This invention relates more particularly to ,car`couplers winch are used on traction' cars having no buffers and in which the coupler is pivoted to the car by a long shank in such a manner that the coupler can swing horizontally thro-ugh a lrelatively long are. Ihen cars equipped with these couplers are coupled together and pass around a curve,

the couplers swing on their pivots and do not swingv or change their positions relatively vto each other.

` "The principal ohjectspf this invention are to facilitate the coupling of cars by providingfa tf ruard arm on the side of the coupler head,A having an oblique inner face which engages .with a corresponding obliquefface on the 'opposing coupler head, wherebythe couplers are caused to slide into proper operative engagement with each other in the`v eventfthat they are out of linev laterally whe'nlthe ears are brought together; also to prevent `the couplers from sliding-vertically part on the opposing coupler with interlocking portions; also to producestrong and serviceable couplers for cars of this type in which the outer face of the knuckle and that part of the opposingl coupler head with unici'. the outer face ot' the knuckle engages areA so constructed that when the two wir piers are inerloclual they will he prevented flan/n buckling or swingingv one on the other andwill act as a rie-id connection between the two cars and enable the couplers to be used for pushingv as well as pullingr the cars.

In the accompanying d\..iwings: Figure l is a plan View of a car coupler embodyingl the invention, and'indicating by dotted lines an opposing;r couplet` interl'ocked therewith. Fig. i. is a side elevation thereof. Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the coupler.

Y Like referencecharacters refer to parts in the several figures.

A represents the dra whead of the coupler. at the outer extremity of which is pivoted a hour/,ontally-swingingr knuckle B of the kind eonunonly used and which eoperates like struction, in the coupler head. l-The shank C of the coupler is pivoted at its end tothe car in any suitable manner. i Y

The coupler head is provided at one side thereof with an outwardly or forwardly projecting guard arm D which is preferably made integral therewith` The guardarm has an oblique or inclined inner face diez;-1

tendinfr from .its base to its outer extremity,

and its extremity is bifurcated, `thereby forming the upper and lower projectin' parts d and (Z2. Theside ofthe coupler head opposite to the guard arm D, or that` Patented July 8, 1913.

Application filed January 21,' 1910. Serial No. 539,429.

` with a knuckle lock of any Suitable conline, the inclined inner yfaces l of the guard arms sliding on the opl'iosinginclined faces E of the heads will dra-wthe two couplers inwardly into alinementV and insure. the .proper couplingr of the cars. the pivotal connect-ions of the coupler with the cars permit# tingr this action.

The outer or front face F of the coupler head preferably extends from the inner cud of the inclined inner face (I ofthe gua rd arm perpendicularly vto thc center line of the= coupler. thereby formingl a straight. pushing face which engages with the cooperating' outer face of the kninkle of the opposing coupler. lVhen the couplers are used for hutiing or pushingr cars. the force of the impzitl will not come on the outer point of the knuckle alone. but will be dislributed cwi' the. entire outer face of thc knuckle, which will greatly lessen the liability of breaking; this member. lVhen the two couplers are intel-locked. the inclined faces Il and E are in contact, as u'cll as the faces l"v and the outer fares of the knuckles. llencc when all these parts of theI couplers are in vengagement. any lateral motion of one coupler with ref fard to the other will he prevented and the two couplers will form a substantialtr rigid connection between the Iwo cars. which makes it possibhl to usillwn; in huliinif op from vertical disengagement.

`coupling of the cars. Y

The couplers provided with the described interlocking parts are preferable' to' la construction in which the' drawhead is provided with a pocket to receivea guard arni or projection on the opposing coupler, and in which the guard arm is liable to strike and break the outer wall of the pocket if the couplers are not in alineinentwhen brought together. i A

I claim as in v invention:

l. ln a Vcar coupler having a horizont-allyvswinging knuckle, a drawhead provided at one side with an integral guard arm having an oblique inner face and at its knuckle side with a corresponding oblique face, the ob lique face of the guard arm being'adapted to engage the oblique face 'on' the drawhead of an opposing coupler for guiding the two couplers into their enga-ging positions, said drawhead being provided'at one side with a projecting portion havino' a bearing face ex` tending transversely of the drawhead and at its opposite side with a bifurcated portion having an inner bearing face extending transversely of thepdrawhead, the 'bifurcated portion of onev drawhead being adapted to receive the projecting portion of the drawhead of the opposing coiq; lcr,whereby the vertical disengagement of the coupler is prevented, and the bearing faces on the project-ing and bifurcated portions of the dravwY headbeing adapted to engage with each other when the couplers are interlocked to prevent the swinging of the couplers relatively to each other, substantially as set forth.

2. ln a car coupler havinga-horizontallyo swinging knuckle. a drawhcad provided ati" vone side with an integral guard arin having an oblique inner face and at its opposite Side with a corresponding oblique face and having a face extending transversely of the coupler, said knucklel heilig provided with an outer face which extends substantially transversely of the coupler when the knuckle is closed and which is adapted to engage with said transverse face of the drawhead of an opposing coupler, the oblique face of` the guard arm being adapted to engage the oblique face on the drawhead of an opposing coupler, and interlocking parts which are carried by the opposite si'desfof said head, one of said parts projecting outwardly from the oblique face on said head and the other part projecting outwardly from the guard arm and with one face substantially in a plane with the oblique face ou said guard arin, said parts being adapted to prevent the vertical disengagernent'of the couplers, and-bearing faces on the projecting part and on said guard arm which extend tral'isverse'ly of the coupler and which are adapted to 'engage with corresponding faces on the 'draw headc an opposing coupler, said trans verse faces of the knuckle and 0n the drawhead preventing the swinging of one coupler relatively to an opposinglscoupler, 'substaml Hall)y as set forth.

lVit-ncss I ny hand, this 12th day of Jan nary, 1910.

w nana n r. inonanns.

l-Vitnesscs:

EDMnNn M. Maw, Cmr'roN C. li),f\s'runn1:ooiis. 

